Front Line Testing

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Anchor lead: What should the standard of testing for COVID-19 be among healthcare workers? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Ten percent? Twenty percent? What is the rate of infection with COVID-19 among healthcare workers on the front lines? Such knowledge is of critical importance in protecting both patients and clinicians, yet no standard exists. And one is needed, says Enid Neptune, a critical care medicine expert at Johns Hopkins.

Neptune: One of the aspects of the current situation I think we all have to be very mindful of is developing a mechanism for surveillance of healthcare workers. Because of the lack of sufficient tests available the priority has not been testing healthcare workers unless they’re symptomatic or unless the feel that they’ve had a substantial exposure. Going forward as we have more and more tests available there has to be a protocol in place. We need to know what the risks are and what the best practices are.  :32

At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.